Enterprise Rising
by MrsEclipse9856
Summary: "Why do I have the feeling that you brought me here to be her partner?" A war with monsters, robots and a blonde, blue-eyed partner, who Leonard may or may not be falling for. Pacific Rim AU. FemKirk/Bones. Background Chulu and S/U.
1. Chapter 1

Kajiu is the Japanese word for giant beast.

Leonard had just turned eighteen when the first Kaiju landed in San Francisco. They showed up out of nowhere like something you only saw in cartoons and anime. Leonard had always been one of those kids to look up and wonder about the stars. Like the rest of the world, he wanted to know what was out there and if humanity was all alone in the universe. Crazy part was that they all should've been looking in the water. When the aliens showed up, they actually came from deep in the Pacific Ocean, a crack of some sort between a pair of tectonic plates. It was a portal between dimensions, they say. 'The breach' is what the kids call it.

The good ole U.S. government threw everything they could at the damn thing and by the time they took it out, it was six days later, thirty-five miles of destruction and three cities were rubble. Tens of thousands of lives were lost. Humanity mourned, memorialized, moved on. Then a year later, a second attack hit Manila. Then the third hit Cabo San Lucas and the fourth crushed part of Hawaii. That's when we realized that the damn things weren't gonna stop, they were just getting started. Humanity needed a new weapon.

Jaeger is the German word for hunter.

Everybody rallied together, pooled resources, tossed aside old grudges of the past for the sake of the greater good. Since it was a fight with monsters, we needed monsters of our own. That's how we ended up with the Jaeger program. Massive robots, piloted by people, built to defend our world from the giant creatures that were leaving death and destruction in their wake. Like everything else, the beginning of the Jaeger program had its issues. The neural interface needed to control the giant robots was too much for one brain to handle. That's where the Drift came in.

The Drift was Jaeger tech based on DARPA jet fighter neural systems. Two pilots, minds melding through memories, instinct and emotions with a body of a giant machine, allowing the three to fight as one. Every movement of the Jaeger came from the pilots, one controlling the 'right hemisphere', the other the 'left hemisphere'. The deeper the bond, the better you fight. The strongest bonds usually came from families. It was common for a team to be made up of siblings, best friends, a couple, or a parent with their child.

That's how humanity started winning, the Jaegers stopped invasions everywhere. But the Jaegers were only as good as the hundred or so brave souls who vowed to fight for humanity. The Jaeger pilots turned into rock stars, the danger had turned into propaganda, Kaijus into toys. We got really good at winning. But like all good things, it fell apart.

The Kaiju got smarter and a sudden spike in their attacks led to the destruction of over twenty six Jaegers. The United Nations began working on a colossal coastal wall to cut the Pacific off from the rest of the world. The Jaeger Program was gradually phased out with seven of eight Shatterdomes shut down and the surviving Rangers retired from active combat duty. The funds once used to support the Jaeger program were funneled to the Anti-Kaiju Wall. The United Nations was confident that the Wall would be more effective than the production of more Jaegers. People were pissed, especially when a Category four Kaiju named Mutavore walked right through a section of the wall like it was tissue paper.

* * *

The origins of how Leonard ended up as a Jaeger pilot change depending on who tells the story. Some people think he did it because of a girl, his now ex-wife. Others think it was a bet he made with some of his med school buddies. The truth; it was his father. Former Air Force Colonel David McCoy was an original Ranger, as the Jaeger pilots were called.

The ink wasn't even dry on the colonel's retirement paperwork from the Air Force when PPDC started recruiting. At first, his father wanted to help in medical; a military doctor who knew how soldiers thought. That was before they figured out that the Drift system. Leonard learned that the older McCoy volunteered to test it, hoping to prevent the loss of the younger pilots to brain damage. Because of his combat training and knowledge of biology, he was asked to stay on as a pilot.

When the older David's partner was pulled from active duty with a brain tumor, he asked his son to join him. Jocelyn, Leonard's new wife, wasn't happy that he joined PPDC in the first place but she put her foot down about him being a Ranger and made him pick between her and his father. He picked his father. Leonard wasn't really the 'sir. Yes, sir' type but he could fight and when he was with his dad, they were a force.

He thought they were unstoppable, he should've known better.

One mission, that's all it took for Leonard to lose the most important person in his life. He doesn't talk about it. Not that there was anyone to talk to anymore. The nightmares were his closest friends, reminding him over and over that he failed. Taunting him with memories of his father's last moments and keeping him in that moment five years ago when everything in his world changed.

* * *

"Looks like you're putting that M.D. to good use. I guess your old man can be proud, knowing that much," a voice said behind him. Leonard was working at the emergency clinic near the Wall. It didn't pay much but someone had to do it and no one really asked him questions.

He sighed, "He can't _be_ anything, he's dead and you know it."

The older man nodded, "I do. You're not the only one who has nightmares about what happened that day, those just aren't the only ones keeping me up at night. How you been, McCoy?"

"I have good days and bad days, just like everyone else, Pike. What do you want?" Leonard asked his former commanding officer. Marshal Christopher Pike is a living legend. One of three people to ever solo pilot a Jaeger; Leonard was the second and some kid was the third. Pike was in Coyote Tango, the great Japanese designed Jaeger that saved Kyoto from the Kaiju Onibaba. Pike's partner passed out during the mission and Pike saved the city without her help.

Pike was a pilot for a little over three years and ran over a dozen missions before he forced into an early retirement from active duty. Not one to walk away in the middle of a war, Pike took up an assignment teaching at the Jaeger Academy for years before he was promoted to PPDC Command as Marshal.

"Never one to beat around the bush, I always liked that about you. I need you to come back, Leonard. I got my hands on a Mark-Three; we patched her together with the last of the funding. I need you in that Conn-Pod," Pike told him.

Leonard laughed, "You can't be serious."

The marshal sighed, "Look, I'm not gonna lie to you, McCoy. This… Wall that the governments are putting up, it's not gonna help, we saw that today. The end is coming; we might have a chance to do something about it."

"And you just want me to what? Abandon my job and fight giant monsters again? I did that once, my wife left me and then my father died. Thanks, but no thanks," Leonard told the other man.

Pike sighed, "If David was here, what would he say? You want to help people, that's why you're a doctor. I'm giving you a chance to help everybody. This is the end of the world, Leonard. Give me a few days. That's all I ask."

Sometimes, he really hates Pike. Mostly because he knew the man was sickeningly honest and if Pike was asking for his help, that meant he needed it. Leonard looked around the rundown clinic before he looked at the man in front of him, "A few days."

* * *

Located on the southern end of Tsing Yi Island overlooking Victoria Harbour, the Hong Kong Shatterdome was the first and the largest of the Pan Pacific Defense Corps' Shatterdomes, and it was the only one still in operation. The other seven were sold off to private buyers or given to governments in exchange for one thing or another. Now, not only was it the only Shatterdome left, it was the base of operations for all of PPDC and housed the last of the Jaegers.

Leonard had never been to this Shatterdome. He's launched out of Los Angeles and Lima but never Hong Kong. Leonard looked around as the helicopter landed and he was given the all clear to get out. "Home sweet home," Pike said wistfully.

Leonard chuckled, "I'm guessing you launched from here?"

"Back in the day. Come on. I get you the ten cent tour and show you to your Jaeger," Pike said with a smile

Leonard followed the older man into the superstructure and into an elevator. "Wait for us!" a kid with a thick Russian accent called out.

Behind the Russian was a man, about Leonard's age with a Scottish accent, "Hold the bloody door, please!" The pair slid into the elevator with a bunch of glass containers.

The kid smiled, "Thank you! Thank you!"

Leonard looked at the containers and noticed that they were Kaiju parts. "Dinnae be messin' with that, lad. Kaiju specimens are extremely rare; ye can look but dinnae touch." Leonard nodded and took a step back.

Pike smiled, "Doctor McCoy, this is our research team. Doctors Chekov and Scott."

The man with the Scottish accent smirked, "Montgomery Scott but ye can call me Scotty, my mother is the only one who calls me doctor. Pasha, these are actual people, lad. Why dinnae ye say hello?"

"You cannot call me that. My mother called me that. I…" the kid started but Scotty cut him off.

"I'm sorry, Chekov."

The Russian smiled, "Good. I am Doctor Pavel Chekov, either is okay. Pasha is not okay. It's only for special people."

Leonard nodded, "Got it." He knew that name, if only in passing. Doctor Sasha Chekov was the man behind the Jaegers and his son was a twenty-year-old prodigy. "Hey, you're not…?" Leonard started.

"Yes, Sasha is my father. No, I do not like talking about it," Chekov told him.

Leonard chuckled, "I don't blame ya, kid." Sasha Chekov was involved in its earliest stages of the Jaeger Program after the United Nations approved Jasper Schoenfeld's concept for the Jaeger. Sasha supported program for as long as it appeared to be a viable option for the defense of the Pacific Rim. However, when the Kaiju started winning, he switched sides and backed the United Nations plan to construct the Anti-Kaiju Wall with the Wall of Life Program. It obviously put the two Chekov men at odds with each other, since Pavel was still part of the Jaeger Program.

They stood in silence for a minute after that when Leonard noticed the tattoos Scotty had all over his arms. "What is that, Yamarashi?" Leonard asked, pointing the Kaiju on the other man's arm.

"Yea, laddie. Ye got a good eye," Scotty said with a smile.

Leonard shrugged, "My father and I took him down. I'll never forget what he looks like."

"Ye know he was one of the biggest Category threes ever? He was two thousand five hundred tons of bloody awesome," Scotty told him. Leonard raised an eyebrow. Scotty sighed, "Or bloody awful, ye know, whatever ye wanna call it."

Pavel shook his head, "Please… forgive my friend. He is Kaiju groupie, he loves them."

"Watch it, lad. I dinnae love them, okay? I study them. And unlike most people, I wanna see one live and up close one day," Scotty said.

Leonard shook his head, "Been there, done that. Trust me, you really don't." The elevator stopped and the pair of scientists were out first. Leonard looked at Pike, "That's your K-Science team?"

Pike nodded, "Things have changed, McCoy. We're not an army anymore, we're the resistance. Welcome to the Shatterdome."

The large metal door opened and Leonard smiled. That feeling of standing at the feet of giants always got him. He looked around the large room as the robots were being checked over or repaired from their last battles.

"The clock?" Leonard asked about the numbers ticking over his head. Pike sighed, "War clock. We re-set it after every Kaiju attack, it keeps everyone focused. The frequency of attacks is accelerating." No wonder Pike came looking for him, that didn't sound good.

"How long until the next re-set?" Leonard asked.

"A month and a half, if we're lucky. Our experts believe there will be a Kaiju attack even before that. This complex used to launch thirty Jaegers in five days; now we only have five Jaegers left," Pike told him.

"I didn't know it was this bad," the doctor said on a sigh.

Pike nodded, "It is."

They walked through the large hanger and Pike pointed to the first Jaeger, "Golden Horizon, Japan. One of the greatest. Full titanium core alloys, fifty diesel engine per muscle strand. A deadly precise fighter. He's piloted by the Sulu siblings. Hikaru is the boy, he's three years older than the twins, his sisters Aiko and Yuki. Extensive knowledge of Jaeger systems, weapons and deployment strategies, those three. They successfully defended Japan six times, Russia twice and the Hong Kong port three times. They use the Thundercloud formation."

Leonard looked over at the three Japanese siblings in front of the black, gray and yellow robot; the girls were playing keep away with their brother in the middle. "Oh, yeah. Triple arm technique," Leonard recalled from his memory.

Pike nodded, "Very effective. That tank, the last of the T-nineties, Desert Fury." Leonard looked up at the next Jaeger, a red and burnt orange behemoth. Pike sighed, "First generation Mark-One, the heaviest, oldest Jaeger in the circus. Make no mistake it's a brutal war machine. Those two, Spock and Nyota Grayson…"

"I've heard of 'em. They're the second generation in that Jaeger. They're the team that protected the hub surrounding the Panama Canal," Leonard said as he watched the couple sitting on their Jaeger's foot.

"Their watch has kept out the Kaiju for six years. Six years," Pike said with a hint of hero worship. The pilots couldn't look more opposite if they tried. The woman was short, with beautiful caramel skin, long dark hair and a bright smile. The man was tall, pale and he couldn't look more indifferent if he wanted to.

Leonard looked at the red, white and blue Jaeger in the bay next to Fury. Pike smiled, "That's Thunder Strike, USA, Mark-Four. Gary Mitchell and Lee Kelso. Best friends since they were babies. Their parents were best friends too and they grew up together. They joined PPDC as soon as Lee turned eighteen. Gary can be a bit of a hothead but Lee keeps him in check and, together, they fight like a hurricane." Leonard watched the two men interact, if he didn't know any better, he'd think they were related.

"Alex! Carol! Welcome to Hong Kong!" Pike called. Leonard turned around and spotted the older man and a young blonde heading their way. "Leonard, this is…"

Leonard smiled, "Alexander Marcus. Been a long time, sir."

The man reached over and shook his hand, "Six years, Ranger. That team drop in Manila. I'm sorry about your father. David was the best of us."

"Thank you, sir. Your daughter?" Leonard asked.

"Yea, that's her," Alex said with pride. Leonard waved at her and she rolled her eyes before turning her attention to the pug at her feet.

Pike looked at him, "Alex and Carol will be running Blue Genesis, the fastest in the world. First and last of the Mark Five Jaegers. Australia decommissioned it a day before the Mutavore attack in Sydney."

"Yeah, they were lucky we were still around," Alex said, a smirk on his face.

Pike nodded, "No kidding. Now she's running point for us."

Leonard was confused, "Wait, running point on what? You haven't told me what I'm doing here yet and I haven't decided to stay."

"We're coming up with a plan to hit the breach, McCoy. We're gonna put a two thousand four hundred pound thermonuclear warhead onto Genesis' back, detonating equivalent of one point two million tons of TNT. You and the other Jaegers will be running defense," the marshal told him.

"How the hell do you get something like that? I thought this was the resistance," Leonard asked.

Pike smiled, "I got friends in Russia. They can get us anything."

"Sir, we've hit the breach before, it doesn't work, nothing goes through. What's changed?" Leonard asked.

Pike smiled, "I told you, we're working on the plan. I need you ready, that's all." Leonard didn't bother to reiterate that he might not stay as Pike made a motion to the Thunder Strike's pilots.

"Sir?" they asked in unison.

Pike chuckled, "This is Leonard McCoy. Show him to his Jaeger and help him get settled." They nodded as Pike walked away with Alex.

The two men looked at him, "Follow us." Leonard chuckled at the way the pair seemed to do everything at the same time.

"We were like this before the Drift. I'm Lee, he's Gary," the slightly younger man said.

"It'll take some getting used to. How long you guys been here?" Leonard asked, letting his curiosity show.

Gary chuckled, "Four months. They sold our Shatterdome and scrapped it for parts. Hong Kong's not so bad. The girls are nice… unless that's not your thing."

"You sound like my ex-wife," Leonard muttered as Gary pointed to the last Jaeger in the bay. Navy blue with silver panels and sleek cobalt blue lettering on her chest; 'Enterprise Rising.' Gary spoke as Leonard took a step towards the gleaming machine.

"She's one of a kind, Mark-Three refit. She has some special core thing from NASA; you'd have to ask J-Tech about it. Solid iron hull, no alloys. Forty acres of blades muscle span. And a new fluid synam system. Beautiful, huh?" the pilot asked him.

Leonard nodded, "She's gorgeous."

* * *

"Take a walk with me, McCoy," Pike said to him the morning after he got to the Shatterdome. The southerner nodded and followed the man through the compound.

"How's the planning?" Leonard asked.

Pike sighed, "It's coming along. We're still ironing out the details. I wanna show you something before you decide if you're leaving or not." They walked into the gym and spotted the Sulu siblings fighting a girl.

"That doesn't seem fair," Leonard muttered.

The marshal chuckled, "It's not, but not for the reason you think. That is arguably the best Jaeger pilot in the world."

Leonard raised an eyebrow, "You're kidding. She's like twelve." Okay, maybe twenty is a more accurate guess for the girl with the toned body of an Olympic sprinter, cerulean blue eyes and long blonde ponytail.

A voice behind them chuckled, "Don't let her hear you say that. Especially since you're only thirty to her twenty-four."

"This is Sam Kirk, LOCCENT mission ops controller," Pike introduced the blonde, blue-eyed guy who walked over to them with a slight limp.

Sam reached over and shook Leonard's hand, "Nice to finally meet you, Doctor McCoy." Leonard nodded as he took in the man who seemed to have some kind of leg injury and a scar running along the side of his face. Sam smirked, "My right leg's robotic. Tentalus tried to pull me outta my Jaeger. Unfortunately for him, my sister is an insanely protective bitch. She ripped his throat out, unloaded the canon into his chest and soloed us back to the Shatterdome. Riverside Ronin was reduced to junk metal and I lost my leg, but we're still alive, so I say it was a win." Sam was looking at the girl on the mats and it finally hit Leonard, the way they both moved and the eyes.

"Her? She's the third solo? I thought it was a guy." Leonard asked glancing over at the girl who was holding her own against the three Sulu's.

Pike nodded, "Most people do. I told you, the best in the world. She's also a J-Tech officer; the engineer in charge of Enterprise."

Leonard looked at Pike, "Why do I have the feeling that you brought me here to be her partner?"

"Because you're smart and I did. I need to get my best pilot back in a Jaeger, that's her. I need to get a Mark-Three pilot in that Conn-Pod, that's you. If you're compatible, and I think you are judging by your brain scans and psych profiles, we might actually win this thing. She doesn't know anything about you other than your name and the fact that I vetted you myself. Wanna meet her?"

Leonard sighed, "Yea, okay."

Sam chuckled, "Hope you've been working out." When Leonard raised an eyebrow, Sam smiled, "My sister has this philosophy that you don't really know someone until you fight 'em. So, get in there." Leonard sighed and kicked off his boots before he walked over to the girl, whose first name he still didn't know, and her friends.

"Mind if I join ya?" he asked them. The Sulu siblings shrugged in unison and looked at the blonde.

Girl-Kirk locked her bright, beautiful blue eyes on him and smirked, "You sure you wanna fight a twelve year old girl." He felt his face turn red, she'd heard him.

Leonard shrugged, "Depends, is she gonna kill me?"

"I could, but that would mean Chris wasted his time." She told him with a playful smile.

The Sulu siblings stepped off the mats as Leonard and the girl sized each other up. There was something about her, maybe it was the way she moved or how she appeared non-threatening, but he was sure she could kick his ass without much effort if she wanted to. He watched her eyes as she looked for weaknesses and Leonard decided that he wasn't gonna wait for her to make the first move. He swung the first punch. She ducked and swung back, he blocked.

The whole thing turned into a mess of swings and kicks that never connected and flips that ended with them both on the mats a few times. It wasn't that neither of them was trying, they just seemed to be reading each other. It turned into dance of sorts. One moved and the other responded. Leonard hadn't felt anything like it since the last time he sparred with his father. He could tell that there was something similar running through her head, especially when she glanced at her brother. Leonard doesn't know how long they were goin' at it when Pike told them to stop.

"Holy shit," the oldest Sulu muttered. Everyone in the room, and there were a few more people in here since they started, looked at Leonard and Girl-Kirk. They stood face to face on the mat, close but not touching, both out of breath.

Pike walked over, "Verdict, Jim?" Ahh, that was her name. Oddly enough, it fit her.

"You feel it, the connection?" she asked.

Leonard nodded, "Down to my bones."

Jim gave Leonard another once over before she smiled, "This is gonna be fun."

* * *

AN: I wish I owned them but I don't. Boohoo. I made a Polyvore collection if anyone is interested.

Add the period and remove the spaces. polyvore com/ cgi/collection ? id=4487 195


	2. Chapter 2

"You're not supposed to be up here, Ranger," a voice said behind him. Leonard was starting to get annoyed by that.

"I don't like people sneaking up on me," Leonard muttered.

Jim smiled, "Neither do I. You still shouldn't be up here. At least… not without an escort."

He raised an eyebrow, "You're up here."

"I outrank most of the people in the Shatterdome. I'm also authorized to be up here… so there's that," she told him.

Leonard nodded as he followed her, "I didn't mean to bother you."

Jim smiled as she sat down next to a high-tech toolbox, "You're not bothering me. And you can stay; I'm just letting you know for future reference." He sat on the deck next to her and watched her hands as she worked on a small metal device. She followed his eyes and smiled, "It's part of Hikaru's drivesuit's spinal clamp."

"Don't explain it to me. It'll just go over my head," he told her.

Jim smiled, "It will now. When we drift, you'll understand more tech than you ever wanted to understand. I'm sure I'll get a healthy dose of medical knowledge."

Leonard chuckled at the pun, "That you will. I guess Pike told you that I decided to stay."

"He give you the 'end of the world' speech?"

"'We have a chance, Leonard. A chance that men like your father and women like Kirk's mother bled for.' Man doesn't pull punches. He wants this to work but… Is this as weird to you as it is to me? Drifting with a stranger?" he asked her.

"We don't have to be strangers. We're gonna be in each other's heads at some point in the next few hours. Can't hurt to get to know a little bit about each other. You know, something to help the link. Like, what's your favorite color?" Jim's delivery was serious.

Leonard chuckled, "Green. You?"

She chuckled, "Blue. Music?"

He thought about it a second, "Classic rock, country, some blues. What about you?"

"Something I can move to. Rock, old school hip-hop, mostly stuff like that. Food?" she asked.

Leonard shrugged, "I'm a southerner and my mama's a good cook… that list is long."

"Oh, I bet. I'm a food lover too. You know what I haven't had in forever?" He shook his head. She smiled, "Apple pie ala mode. Maybe I talk my brother into making some. Chris might let me hit up Hong Kong for ingredients. I've haven't gone out there in a while."

"Why do you call him Chris? Your brother does it too," Leonard was curious.

Jim sighed, "He's our godfather. We call him Uncle Chris when nobody's around. Our mom was Winona Kirk, the other pilot in Coyote Tango, she passed out and Chris soloed."

"That must've been brutal. To go out like that."

Jim sighed, "That wasn't the worst of it. PPDC pulled the Mark-Ones together in fourteen months. Back then, nobody was thinking about the radiation shielding. Cancer ran though most of those pilots something fierce. My mom died a week after my first drop. Your father, Alex and maybe two other pilots from back then didn't get sick, that's it. Chris… it's bad. He promised my mom that he'd look out for us but it's more like us all looking out for each other now. Mom and Chris ran a dozen missions together; their last drop was Kyoto. When Mom blacked out in the Drift, Chris finished the fight… but for three hours… he burned from the inside out. He has the scars from the burns his circuitry suit made to prove it. That's why they retired him; if he ever gets into a Jaeger again, it'll kill him."

"He didn't… I'm a doctor…" Leonard started.

Jim smiled, "There's nothing you can do. There's nothing anyone can do. He's not gonna sit in the hospital when there's work to be done and he can still do it. That's not his style. It's also why my brother's still here. He says that just because his leg's gone doesn't mean his brain doesn't work. When we lost our funding, a lot of people bailed so Sam went back to Ops. Who better to have in mission control than a pilot?"

"Is that why you're still here?" he asked her.

Jim smiled, "Sorta. I wasn't gonna leave my family. Not after everything I did to save my brother. I was pulled from the engineering to be his partner but I never lost the love of it; building cool shit, especially weapons. When I wasn't doing Jaeger training, I was working on them. That knowledge became handy when people left and our Jaegers started falling. Most of us pull some kind of double duty. I've worked on every Jaeger in here except Blue Genesis… but she just got here and Chris is saving her for something special."

"I can't believe Alex is still in a Jaeger, I would've figured him for a marshal or something," Leonard muttered.

"He'll take over when Chris gets too sick or dies; whichever comes first. He's the most senior Ranger in the place, so he'll kinda have to. Your turn."

He looked at her, "For?"

"That's my family, your turn." Jim told him.

"You're not gonna tell me about your father?" Leonard asked.

She sighed, "George Samuel Kirk senior. He was an infantry officer in the Marines. My mom was a Marine helicopter pilot and pulled his squad out of a hot zone. He promised her a drink… the rest is history. He died on a mission when I was a baby, so I only know what Sam remembers. Now, it's your turn. Tell me about your family."

He nodded, "My mom lives in Georgia, where I'm from. She makes a damn good apple pie, if we save the world I'll have to take you home for some. My dad died five years ago. Knifehead pulled him out of the Conn-Pod near Japan. I don't talk about it"

"Maybe you should. It might help. You an only child?" Jim changed the subject and he was grateful.

"I have an older sister, Donna, and a brother-in-law, Fred. They live near mama. They have little girl, Johanna… she's the cutest thing you've ever seen." He loves his niece to death and if he could pick one thing to fight for, it would be her.

Jim chuckled, "You got pictures?"

"Yea, back in my room but you'll see soon enough. So, left or right?" he asked.

"I've been on both sides but I prefer the right. You?"

Leonard shrugged, "No preference, so I guess you can have the right side."

A buzzer went off over their heads and Jim pushed herself to her feet, "They're about to run some tests, we gotta move. It's chow time anyway."

He stood up and walked beside her, "So… how long has it been since your last Drift?

Jim sighed, "A little over two years ago. Last time was right after Sam healed up. The theory was that me and the Jaeger would compensate for his lost limb. So, we Drifted in the simulator. It worked for about five seconds then it felt like I got my leg chopped off."

"Ouch. I can't image… I'm gonna get an idea, right?" he cringed at the thought.

She chuckled as they walked into the galley, "Yep. I'll be right back, I gotta give this thing to Hikaru." Jim ran off the talk with the oldest Sulu about his drivesuit. Leonard chuckled as he looked around and almost walked out of the room until a tray was shoved into his hands.

"Leonard, come sit with me," Alex said to him.

"As long as you don't mind, sir."

The older pilot chuckled, "I wouldn't have offered if I did. Come on, there's plenty of room." He followed his father's old friend to one of the tables and sat down across from Carol. She looked up at him but didn't say anything.

"I haven't seen bread in a while," Leonard muttered. Working by the wall, he hasn't seen a lot of things in a while. Medical supplies were scarce, food was rationed out and conditions closest to the wall were decrepit.

Alex chuckled, "Hong Kong. The beauty of an open port, no rations. They've got potatoes, beans, sweet peas, fruit, decent meatloaf." Alex looked at the tech next to Leonard, "Can you pass the potatoes." The guy nodded and handed Alex the bowl.

"So, you're the guy who's gonna run defense for me in that piece of crap they pulled together?" Carol asked. Her beautiful Australian accent betraying the loathing she obviously had for him.

Leonard nodded, "That's the plan."

She sighed, "Good. When was the last time you Drifted?" Unlike his conversation with Jim, he had the feeling that Carol was fishing for a reason not to like him.

"About five years ago," he answered.

"What have you been doing for five years? Something pretty important I'd gather," Carol said.

Leonard smiled, "I'm a doctor."

She raised an eyebrow, "A doctor? Like an actual doctor?"

He chuckled, "Emergency medicine. Pre-med at Ole' Miss, med school at Hopkins, I started my residency at a trauma center in Georgia and finished it on the LA Shatterdome's med team. That's when my father lost his partner and asked me to test for Drift compatibility. After dad died, I had to get away from all this. Help the people I could help. I'm only back is because Pike asked and I respect him."

"That's it?" she asked.

Leonard nodded, "That's it. I didn't know I'd need your approval, Miss Marcus."

The blonde glared at him, "Look. You've been out of the loop for a while, so I'm gonna fill you in. Kirk's not exactly chomping at the bit to get back in a Conn-Pod and I think it's stupid of Pike to put you both in the same Jaeger. My father seems to like you, but it's guys like you who brought down the Jaeger program in the first place. To me, you're dead weight. And if you slow me down, I'm going to drop you." She stood up and walked away with her little dog hot on her tail.

"Give her a wide berth until she calms down. I raised her on my own after her mom died. She's a smart kid, but I never knew what to do with a teenage girl. The sad part is that she knows that I feel like I failed her and she uses it against me," Alex told him.

Leonard sighed, "She's not wrong. This whole thing is huge and I'm only here so Kirk doesn't get brain damage."

"That's not true," Jim said as she sat next to him. "There were a handful of former pilots that were a lot more willing to come back than we are but once Chris talked me into suiting up again, he had to find someone that I could work with… someone who would understand what it meant to lose and still fight. That's you. Pass me the peas."

Alex handed them to her, "When's your sim run?"

Jim looked at the veteran pilot, "Looks like it's after chow. You ready, doc?"

"As ready as I'll ever be."

* * *

Leonard looked down at his circuitry suit. The gray –almost transparent- body suit, which was essentially a high tech wetsuit, was designed to interface with his nervous system left nothing to the imagination. The last time he wore one, he didn't think about it because he was with his dad. Suddenly, he realized that he was about to share all his thoughts with a very attractive woman and she was about to share all her thoughts with him.

"Relax, Lenny. I'm sure your thoughts can't be that bad," Jim said as she stepped into the main part of the Drivesuit room.

He gave her a look, "Easy for you to say, you've never been a teenage boy." She chuckled and took her place next to him as the techs started adding pieces of the battle armor over their circuitry suits.

"I saw my brother have sex in vivid color. That wasn't even the worst of it," she muttered the last part.

"Do I need to be warned?" he asked.

Jim thought about it for a second, "Not really. I mean, my brother's last mission gives me nightmares. I met your father at my mom's funeral. My mom's last days always break my heart. Oh, and I think you have a nice ass."

Leonard chuckled, "My father's last mission gives me nightmares too. You'll get to see my ex-wife. And your ass is nice too." No point in being coy since they were about to be in each other's heads.

She chuckled as her helmet was put on her head, "You're not as standoffish as you want me to think."

He shrugged as the Data Relay Gel ran through his helmet and into the receptors of his circuitry suit. Leonard glanced at the clock on the wall and realized that they suited up in five and a half minutes, which was on par with the 'seven or less' rule that PPDC had for the last decade. Normally, they'd go from the Drivesuit room to the Conn-Pod but Leonard and Jim went into the Jaeger Combat Simulator down the long hallway.

The 'Conn-Pod' was ready for them when they entered. Jim took the right harness and Leonard took the left. Like the normal Conn-Pod, their suits were locked into the harnesses. The Jaeger Combat Simulator was generally used for Ranger trainees, either in teams or individually, to fight against simulated Kaiju using simulated Jaegers. In this case, it was used for veteran pilots who needed to work with a new partner. Drift compatibility was a science and a feeling, both had to work or the Drift wouldn't last very long.

"And so, the student becomes the teacher," Sam's voice came over the comm system in their helmets.

Jim chuckled, "Your ego knows no bounds, Sammy. Isn't there some tech in LOCCENT who could do this?"

Sam sighed, "Not today. Today, you have me and an audience. No pressure."

She rolled her shoulders, "Never that. You ready to give these guys a show, Leo?"

"What's with the nicknames?" he asked, confused.

She smiled, "Leonard… it just doesn't fit so I'm trying some other stuff until I find something I like. You ready?"

Leonard nodded, "I'm ready. Sam?" The older Kirk's voice returned, "Jaeger Conn-Pod ready to drop. Pilot Alpha?"

"Alpha ready for the big drop," Jim said after taking a deep breath.

"Pilot Bravo?" Sam asked.

Leonard glanced at Jim, "Bravo is ready to go."

Suddenly the Conn-Pod 'dropped' down and placed into position on the giant Jaeger's body. It was actually just the computers and the suits simulating the drop but it still felt real, which was the point. Sam's voice was there as soon as the pod stopped, "Drop-in confirmed."

"Initiate the pilot-to-pilot protocol. Ready for Neural Handshake," Pike said to the techs in Ops. Leonard shouldn't have been surprised, the man seemed to be very hands on where the Kirk kids were concerned.

He didn't have time to think about it as Sam counted them down, "Starting in fifteen seconds, fourteen, thirteen, twelve, eleven, ten..."

"Last chance to back out," Jim told him.

He smiled, "Not my style, Miss Jim."

The simulator's AI came to life, "Neural Handshake initiating." Everything around him went hazy.

 _Leonard found himself running through a field. Jim, this was Jim's memory._

 _"Look, Sammy, I'm flying…" A younger version of the man he met was carrying Jim on his shoulders and her arms were spread out._

 _Hugging a beautiful woman in a Marine Corps uniform. Her mother. "I'll be back before you know it, sweetie. Listen to your grandma and be nice to your brother," her mother said with tears in her eyes._

 _Studying with Sam._

 _Training with Hikaru._

 _Driving a motorcycle through the cornfields of Iowa._

 _Hanging out with Gary and Lee._

 _"It was your dad's, they gave it to me when his body was shipped home. You should keep it," her mother whispered as she handed Jim a small cross on a chain._

 _Sitting next to her mother as cancer destroyed her mind and body._

 _Pike with his arm around her at her mother's funeral._

 _"SAM!" The feeling of horror ripped though her as a claw tore through Riverside Ronin. Pain. Anger. Not anger… red-hot fury._

 _Carrying the neural load of Riverside Ronin back to Anchorage. Her hand checking Sam's pulse every few minutes. "Don't you fucking die on me, Sammy."_

 _Watching her brother sleep in the infirmary._

 _Catching a ride through the halls with Sam on his wheelchair._

 _Helping Pike keep PPDC going when the UN started to back out._

 _Working on Enterprise Rising._

 _Talking about the Kaiju with Scotty._

 _"I promised Winnie that I'd take care of you," Pike muttered. Jim wiped his head with a damp cloth, "Well, somebody's gotta take care of you too, Uncle Chris."_

 _Pike talking her into getting back into the fight._

 _Finally, he saw their first meeting in the training room from her eyes. Respect, curiosity, amusement… attraction._

Leonard's vision cleared as he registered feeling Jim through his body and in his mind.

Headspace is the name they gave it, the result of an active neural handshake. It's the place where the melded subconscious of the Jaeger pilots communicate. To Leonard, it felt like a hug, arms wrapped tight around each other, hearts beating in sync. Jim thought it was like floating in an ocean, the sun shining down and warm water surrounding them. To everyone, even partners, headspace was different and the only constant was that it was quicker than verbal communication; complicated deliberations can play out in a matter seconds rather than minutes.

"Neural Handshake strong and holding," Sam said.

A tech Leonard didn't know, but Jim recognized as Darwin, spoke next, "Right hemisphere calibrating, left hemisphere calibrating." Leonard and Jim moved their right arms in sync, then the left. The pair looked at each other before looking straight.

Pike's voice returned, "Your orders are to hold a miracle mile off Anchorage, copy?"

"Copy that, sir," Jim said. They started walking to the area Pike designated.

 **"** Come on, kid. Put those muscles in it," he told Jim.

She chuckled, "You just worry about yourself, old man."

Leonard laughed, "Old. We'll see about that." They moved in unison and the Jaeger did what they told it to do. Drifting was only half the battle, getting the job done was gonna be a little harder.

"Don't think that, Bones," she muttered. Bones. He could see his words to her during their first meeting. He could also see her watching Jeopardy when she was younger and seeing 'sawbones' as a nickname for old military doctors.

"We can keep that one," he told her. She liked it and it wasn't the worse thing he's ever been called.

They stood in the water and waited. Jim was running songs through her head, " _Can't stand it, I know you planned it. I'm gonna set it straight, this Watergate. I can't stand rocking when I'm in here, because your crystal ball ain't so crystal clear. So, while you sit back and wonder why, I got this fucking thorn in my side. Oh my, it's a mirage. I'm tellin' y'all it's sabotage_."

"The Beastie Boys, really?" he asked with a chuckle.

Jim shrugged, "I'm open to suggestions."

"How about some Johnny Cash? Folsom Prison Blues comes to mind. You know... _I hear the train a comin', it's rolling round the bend. And I ain't seen the sunshine since I don't know when. I'm stuck in Folsom prison, and time keeps draggin' on. But that train keeps a rollin' on down to San Antone_."

Jim laughed, "I know that one… _When I was just a baby, my mama told me. Son, always be a good boy, don't ever play with guns. But I shot a man in Reno just to watch him die. When I hear that whistle blowing, I hang my head and cry_." Leonard smiled as he caught a glimpse of her mother singing the song in a car.

Before they could get another verse in, Sam warned them that a Kaiju was closing in. "On your left."

As soon as Sam said the word, they shifted to face the monster head on. The Kaiju launched out of the water at them and they swung, catching it in the head. The Kaiju roared and hit them with his tail. "Plasmacaster," Jim called. Their right arm turned into a large cannon and they started shooting at the massive creature.

"He doesn't like that, Jim," he told her.

She chuckled, "Sucks to be him." The tail came at them again and they grabbed it with their left arm. The Kaiju swung at them with his claw and caught the Jaeger. They hit it with the cannon again but Jim's head was a mess. She was being pulled into her memories of the day Sam got hurt.

"Stay with me, Jim. Don't follow the rabbit. We got work to do," he said to her.

It took a second but her thoughts cleared and she didn't drop out of alignment, "I'm with you, Bones. Let's take this fucker down."

* * *

"Not bad, you two," Pike said as they stood in his office.

Jim huffed, "I almost fucked the alignment all to hell."

The marshal put his hand on her shoulder, "You did good, kid. We knew this wasn't gonna be easy but you kept your head and you listened to your partner. I doubt anyone else would've been brave enough to get into a Jaeger after what you both went through, but you did it. And you did a good job. I'll have you run a few more sims but I'm putting you on the drop roster after Enterprise does her test run."

Jim nodded, "Can I be excused, Marshal?"

Pike smiled, "Go ahead, Ranger." She glanced at Leonard before she walked out of the room. Leonard knew not to follow her just yet she needed some time to get her thoughts in order.

He sighed, "That's trippy. I mean, I knew what my dad was thinking all the time but I grew up with him… mostly. I just met her and I know everything. It's a little scary."

"Let it settle before you talk to her. I know that getting into someone's head feels like you don't need to talk but you should," Pike told him.

Leonard nodded, "I know, I'm just not looking forward to it. She's gonna blame herself for what happened in there."


	3. Chapter 3

"If you're here to tell me it wasn't my fault, don't. It was," Jim said as soon as he stood next to her, she was leaning against the railing looking out at the ocean.

Leonard chuckled, "I wasn't gonna say that, and you know it."

"We're not connected, I have no idea what you're gonna say."

He smiled, "Liar. I have a huge chunk of you in my head; that works both ways. In either case, I was gonna say that it wasn't as bad as I was expecting. We stayed in alignment despite the issues we both have with being in a Jaeger. I don't think it was your fault. It happens, even to the best of us."

"It doesn't happen to me. That's never happened to me," she whispered.

Leonard sighed, "I know but isn't that what life's all about? The things that happen that we don't expect. I mean, look around… Giant monsters from the bottom of the sea are trying to kill us and a dozen people are the only thing in their way. It's crazy."

"Yea, it is. I… I want this to work. I guess I'm just not as ready as I thought," Jim told him.

"You are. You wouldn't be able to admit that if you weren't. We're both just outta practice. You okay?" he asked his new partner.

She nodded, "Yea."

Leonard smiled, "Good. Now, can we go inside before we get sick, it's cold out here?" Jim chuckled as he wrapped an arm around her shoulder and pulled her against his chest.

"Such a southern flower, Bones. This is nothing. Winter in Iowa is cold. Kodiak Island is cold. This is nippy at best."

* * *

"So, what's your story?" Leonard was in the infirmary helping out with the minor injuries that the engineers sustained when Hikaru Sulu walked in and asked that question.

The doctor looked at the other pilot, "Nothin' much. Wanted to be doctor, ended up a Ranger, went back to being a doctor, now I'm both."

Hikaru smiled, "You've seen in Jim's head, so you know I'm her best friend. Her other brother, as she calls me. I could just ask her what the deal is with you but I'd prefer to get to know you without Jim as the middle woman."

Leonard saw plenty in Jim's head, her friendship with the oldest Sulu started five years ago after Horizon, Riverside and Eden Assassin took out a Kaiju near Bangkok. Jim and Hikaru struck up a friendship from opposite sides of the Pacific Rim that only got deeper after her brother was hurt. They've been at the Hong Kong Shatterdome for the last year, working side by side to keep the Jaegers operational.

"I don't know what you want me to tell you, Mister Sulu," Leonard told the tall man.

Hikaru chuckled, "I just wanna know the guy who's fighting beside my best friend. That's all." The kid had a point and he was only trying to look after Jim.

Leonard sighed, "What do you wanna know?"

* * *

Leonard glanced at the clock, it was only twenty-one hundred. He ran his hand through his hair and considered his options. He could try to sleep, which wasn't easy, or he could find something to do to tire himself out. The southerner pushed himself out of his bed just as someone knocked on the door. He knew it was Jim before he even opened it; she sleeps less than he does.

"Hey," she said as soon as he opened the door.

Leonard smiled, "Hey. Everything okay? Pike's not about to spring another sim run on us?" Pike told them that he wasn't scheduling their next simulator run, it could be anytime just like a Kaiju attack; that was four days and two sim runs ago.

Jim stepped into the room and chuckled, "I have no idea what he's up to. He did say they would be random like a real drop, so I'm not exactly worried about it. I'm bored."

He chuckled as he leaned against the door, "Me too. I'm sure there's some work we could find if we looked hard enough but…"

"Not really in a working mood. Wanna watch a movie with me?" Jim asked.

"Any movie in particular?"

She shrugged, "Any movie you want, we got a bunch of 'em in the system. I just can't stare at my ceiling in silence anymore and… I uh…"

Leonard smiled, "You didn't want to be alone." Jim nodded.

He chuckled, "I guess our connection's getting stronger."

"A few more runs and we won't even need to talk… not that talking's bad or anything," Jim said.

Leonard smiled, "No, it's not. Go ahead and pick a movie." She chuckled and moved to the holographic interface that all the rangers had in their rooms. Jim picked The Matrix before she sat on his bed with her long legs crossed at the ankles and her back against the wall.

Leonard sat next to her as the movie started. It's been awhile since he's watched the old action movie, hell, it's been awhile since he's watched any movie and she knew it. They watched as Neo met his new friends and tried to avoid the agents that were trying to kill them. Neo and Trinity were getting ready to rescue Morpheus when Leonard felt a weight on his shoulder. Jim fell asleep. Leonard chuckled and watched the rest of the movie, eventually drifting off to sleep too.

* * *

"Enterprise Rising, report to the simulator. Rangers Kirk and McCoy, report to simulator," the computer jolted Leonard out of the best sleep he's had in years. He looked down at the woman in his arms as she shifted. He doesn't know how they ended up tangled together on his bed but it wasn't unpleasant. Jim's body fit in his arms perfectly. She was warm and she smelled like heaven; vanilla and something else he couldn't place. Letting her fall asleep in his bed might not have the best idea. It's been awhile since Leonard let anyone get that close.

"I'm gonna kill him," Jim groaned. She looked at Leonard with her bright blue eyes, "Sorry I dozed off on you."

He smiled, "Don't be. Come on, we've been summoned."

They stopped by her room so she could grab her sneakers before they ran to the Drivesuit room. This was their fourth run together and everything was more relaxed. He didn't worry about stripping down to get into the tight circuitry suit. Or seeing Jim do the same. Not that she doesn't look good, because she does but he wasn't worried about it.

"You alright over there, Bones?" He chuckled, "You're gonna see inside my head soon enough. Don't kill me."

Jim smiled, "Only if you don't kill me."

Leonard raised an eyebrow, "Why would I do something like that, darlin'?"

She shrugged, "You'll see."

* * *

It was sometime after zero four hundred when they finally made it back to their rooms. He should've gone to bed but he knocked on Jim's door before he could think better of it. She opened it and looked at him, "What?"

He took a breath, "I'm sorry." She got a good bit about his ex-wife during their last Drift and, as much as she wanted to deny it, she was hurt at the comparisons he unconsciously made.

Jim stepped aside to let him in, "Why are you sorry? I'm the one who should be sorry. I invaded your space and I made you…"

"Stop. You didn't invade anything, Jim… at least, not in a bad way. After my father died, I shut everyone out. For a month, I hid in a crappy apartment and drank myself stupid. One of the nurses from the LA Shatterdome, Christine, found me, cleaned me up and told me to stop wasting my life. So, I focused on being a doctor. I worked a lot and I didn't let anyone get close. A fling here or there but nothing where I could get hurt. In the last five years, you're the only person to ever get that close. I don't know if that's because you've seen inside my head or if it's just us. What I do know is that I wouldn't want to do this with anyone else."

"Not even your father?" she asked in a small voice.

Leonard smiled, "Not even him. My dad was a smart man and he'd be dumb if he didn't see the connection we have. The colonel would like you. You're smart and sassy, my dad loved smart and sassy women."

"We're really okay?"she asked.

He sighed, "Well, you could tone down the hotness."

She shook her head, "I don't know what you're looking at. I'm… just me; a grease monkey who can fight."

"You're beautiful. Your head, your heart… that's what I see," he told her.

Jim's eyes twinkled, "And I have a nice ass."

Leonard chuckled, "You have a nice everything and you know it. Look, my ex… she made me choose between her and my father. I didn't pick her for a reason."

She nodded, "You got married because that's what everyone expected to do but you doubt that she ever loved you. I saw that much."

"I loved her, just not how I should've. It was like your love for Hikaru, except not as deep. He's family, his sisters too and you would die for them… I doubt she would bat an eyelash for me. It just took me a while to figure it out. My father gave me a good reason to leave but my marriage was over before it started. You do remind me of her, not because you're similar, it's because you're so different. Okay?"

"Okay," she sighed.

Leonard tucked her hair behind her ear and pressed a soft kiss against her cheek, "Bedtime, Miss Kirk. We gotta get up in two hours."

Jim smiled, "Roger that, doc. Goodnight."

He smiled, "Good morning." He walked across the hall to his room. Once inside, he plopped down on his bed. "Impeccable fuckin' timing there, Len," he muttered to himself. The next time she's in his head he was so screwed. Jim was a spitfire. All that toughness and brilliance and compassion was like a beacon that called out to him. He wanted to be where she was. Leonard was sure that the Drift had nothing to do with his growing affection for the bright-eyed blonde. Just his luck.

* * *

"Hey, McCoy, come sit with us," one of the twins called out. Leonard still hadn't figured out who was who. Yuki and Aiko were identical twins; they made it harder by wearing the same clothes, the same hairstyle and having the same mannerisms. From Jim's memories, he learned that the girls would often switch identities on people for a laugh but if you know them well enough, you could figure it out.

"Heard you had a talk with Hiki. He's overprotective. We used to think it was just us but he does it with Jim and Ny too. I think they get a kick out of it," one twin said.

The other twin smiled, "Sam thinks it silly. He's Jim's brother and it's still his job to protect her… even if he is a cyborg now."

Leonard looked at the eighteen year old, "Really?"

"It's not a big deal, doc, she stole that one from me," Sam said as he walked over with an arm around Jim's shoulder. She was next to her brother, tray in hand.

"Hey, Bonesy," she said with a smile.

He smiled back, "Hey, Jimmy."

She raised an eyebrow, "'Jimmy'?"

"You call me 'Bones', so I think I'm gonna call you 'Jimmy'. I'm trying it on for size," he told her.

She chuckled, "When'd you decide that?"

Leonard shrugged, "Last night. Now, come sit down and eat before I hook you up to a feeding tube." Sam snickered but didn't say anything.

Jim glared, "You wouldn't dare."

He smiled, "You know I would. You don't eat enough for a normal person and you're a Jaeger pilot."

"You're worse than Sam," she muttered.

Her brother shook his head, "Don't bring me into this. He's your partner and he knows how bad you are at taking care of yourself. Someone has to make sure you eat and sleep because you sure as hell won't do either on your own."

Jim rolled her eyes and muttered under her breath, "It's called work. Overbearing men."

"But you love us," Hikaru said to her.

"Heaven knows why 'cause I sure as hell don't," Jim told her friend.

Sam pouted, "That hurts my feelings, sis." She shrugged and stole a strip of bacon off Sam's tray. "That's mean, Jim. You can't take a man's bacon," Sam said. Jim rolled her eyes but didn't say anything as she continued to eat her breakfast.

"Where are you from?" one of the twins asked Leonard.

He smiled, "Ellijay, Georgia. It's a town right outside Atlanta. My family's still there."

The girl smiled, "What's it like?"

He took a breath, "Warm, most of the year. Everyone in town knows everyone else. My mom owns an apple orchard, she inherited it. You could stand on our porch and smell them. Hopefully, I'll get back there." The twins nodded but a new voice captured their attention. "

It is illogical to…" Spock Grayson started.

Jim cut him off, "Logic, logic, logic. Logic is that dumb wall that the UN is building but doesn't work. We prefer to be illogical and alive. It's good to have a goal for when this is over."

"What's your goal?" Nyota asked as she sat down. Jim's ears turned a tiny bit pink.

She smiled, "I want to hang out Misses McCoy. If Bones' memories are any indication of how good a cook she is, she might get stuck with me for a while."

Leonard smiled, "My mama wouldn't mind, you're more than welcome to go for it. Hell, ya'll can all come visit if you want. Just be warned, she'd feed you until you're outta room like any good southern mama would. Then, she'll try to keep you. That's how we ended up with my brother-in-law."

"He married your sister, isn't that how you ended up with him?" Gary asked from the other end of the table.

Leonard shook his head, "No, I've known Fred since we were kids. His mama worked her ass off but his papa drank away all the money. My mama saw him at the school in ratty clothes and about fifteen pounds underweight. So every day after that she'd send me and Donna to school with extra food for him. She also made me take him some clothes… nothing fancy, just some good shoes and some shirts. When his papa's drinking got real bad, he'd throw Fred out and my mama would take him in. Fred was always family, now it's just legal."

"Aww, that's so sweet," the twins said in unison.

Hikaru chuckled, "You might get the twins too."

Jim looked at the tall Ranger, "You're not gonna go to casa de McCoy, Hik?"

Hikaru shook his head, "If you three are with McCoy's mom, I'm gonna make a break for it."

Sam nodded, "I'm down for that, man. These girls…"

Jim chuckled, "Oh please. You couldn't live without us and we know it." Jim and the twins all tapped their temples.

Having seen Jim's thoughts, and some of Sam's, Leonard knew that the three women had a point. When Tentalus tried to kill them, Sam just wanted Jim to be safe, he didn't care what happened to him and he passed out with that thought in his head. It's a thought that fuels Jim's nightmares because the only thing she wants is for Sam to be safe.

"All Rangers and Ops Kirk, report to the K-Science Lab. I repeat, all Rangers and Ops Kirk, report to the K-Science Lab," the intercom alerted them. Everyone got their last bites in before they all hopped up and left the room, some of the techs at the table next to them offering to clean up their trays and told them to go.

Sam looked at Hikaru as they walked out of the room, "What's your boyfriend up to, man?"

The pilot shook his head, "Don't blame Pasha. Scotty's the crazy one."

Jim chuckled, "Truth."

Her brother nudged her, "You're just as crazy."

She rolled her eyes, "Am not."

Leonard sighed, "Kinda are."

Jim looked at him with a pout, "You're supposed to be on my side, Bones."

"Don't fall for the pouty face, McCoy," Lee said from behind him.

Leonard took a breath, "Not gonna work on me, Jim."

Her bottom lip quivered, "But, Bones." That was not fair; he just wanted to hug her when she had that look on her face.

Gary shook his head, "Don't do it, dude."

"I'm on your side, Jim, but you're still crazy. Not Scotty-crazy but still crazy," he told her.

"I think the good doctor has a point," her brother teased.

She crossed her arms, "I think that doc's only placating you boys. I'm the one he has to share headspace with. I know what he really thinks." Jim gave him a wink. So she did pick up on his thoughts about her. At least she wasn't mad at him for it.

* * *

"You did what?" Leonard asked, giving voice to the question they all had while he checked the idiot over. Scotty looked slightly guilty as all the Rangers looked at him.

"Are you daft? You could've killed yourself, there's a reason it takes two pilots to drift," Carol growled. For once, they all agreed with the arrogant Australian woman.

Jim looked at her friend, "Did you get anything good, Scotty?"

The Scot sighed, "Depends on what ye call good, lass. I dinnae feel like they're just following some sort of animalistic urge, ye know, just hunting and gathering. I think they're attacking us under orders."

Pavel glared, "That's impossible."

"Is that impossible, lad? Giant monsters popping up outta the ocean was bloody impossible until thirteen years ago." Scotty had a point.

"Pasha, he's right," Hikaru said, running his hand through the young scientist's curls.

Jim must've thought so too, "Monty, what did you see, be specific."

The scientist nodded, "They're bloody colonists, lass. They overtake worlds then they just... they just consume them and move on to the next. They've been here before, as sort of a trial run. It was the dinosaurs, but the atmosphere wasn't conducive, right? So, they waited it out and they waited it out. And now, ye know, with the ozone, the pollution, the carbon monoxide, polluted waters... well we bloody terra-formed it for them. Now they're coming back and it's perfect. See the first wave, categories one through four, it was nothing! Their sole purpose is to aim for the populated areas and take out the bloody vermin, that's us! The second wave, that is the exterminators, and they will finish the job. And then, the new tenants will take possession."

"Fuck my life," Gary muttered. Leonard nodded his agreement. This was way worse than any of them thought.

Spock looked at Scotty, "Is there an explanation for the matching DNA we located?"

Scotty nodded, "The identical DNA in two separate Kaiju is because they're cloned."

Pike sighed, "Montgomery, I need you to do it again. I need more information."

"I cannae...I cannae do it again. I mean, not unless ye have fresh Kaiju brain lying around," Scotty told their commanding officer. Jim, Sam, Alex and Pike shared a look that everyone in the room caught.

Scotty looked at them, "Do ye?"

Sam chuckled, "We… might know somebody who could help with that." Leonard knew from Jim's memories that they were acquainted with this shady character named Khan who could get his hands on anything. The man owed Pike a favor or two. If Kaiju brain is what they needed, Khan would be the person to get it.


	4. Chapter 4

Leonard wasn't surprised when he stepped into the training room and found that all the other pilots were already there. Jim was sitting with Spock and Hikaru in one of the corners, meditating. Gary and Lee were doing pushups. Nyota and one of the Sulu twins were sparring. Carol was on a treadmill. The other Sulu twin was trading fight moves with Alex. Leonard decided to join his partner; he sat down on the floor next to her and closed his eyes.

He doesn't know how long he was sitting there when Sam's voice carried through the room, "All Rangers report to LOCCENT. I repeat all Rangers report to LOCCENT. Urgent." Leonard opened his eyes as everyone stopped what they were doing and sprinted to mission control. He was between Jim and Alex as they stepped into the room.

"What's goin' on?" one of the twins –Aiko- asked.

Sam looked over at them, "Breach was exposed at zero six hundred hours, local time. We have a category four signature, codename: Otachi. He'll reach Hong Kong within the hour."

Pike walked into the room behind the Rangers, "Order the strike troops to evacuate the city, shut down the bridges, I want every single civilian in a refuge right now. Golden Horizon and Desert Fury, I want you to front line the harbor. Stay on the miracle mile. Thunder Strike, I want you to stay back, look after the coastline. We cannot afford to lose you, so only engage as a final option."

"What about us?" Carol asked.

Pike looked at her, "I'll only deploy Genesis and Enterprise if I have to. We need both of those Jaegers for that bomb run. Let's get to work, Rangers." Leonard wasn't sure what he should be doing since he wasn't going anywhere.

Jim nudged him, "You have about ten minutes to change out of your workout gear." He completely forgot about that. He followed Jim out of LOCCENT as she practically ran to her room, which was across the hall from his.

It only took him five or so minutes to change. Jim was stepping out of her room just as he shut his door. Leonard had to do a double take. "It's the end of the world and you look like a supermodel?" he muttered. Jim looked down at her clothes and raised an eyebrow. She wasn't wearing anything special, a pair of black pants, a gray tank top, a pair of beat-up black boots, her ID on her hip and her hair was down. That's what made it so unfair, she wasn't even trying to look good, she just did.

"If you think this is good, wait until you see me in a dress… if we live that long," she said as they made their way back to LOCCENT.

"You don't think we will?" he asked.

Jim shrugged, "I don't know what the future holds, Bones. I'm gonna fight like hell for it but that's not a guarantee. You know, you don't have to come back in there if you don't want to?"

"I want to. I haven't seen anyone but you and Alex fight, I wanna know who I'm working with." Jim smiled at his obvious reference to her philosophy. She didn't say anything as they walked into LOCCENT. The place was a mad house, a flurry of activity as they prepped for three Jaegers to drop and Drift. "How do you manage all this?" he asked Sam.

Jim's brother chuckled, "I'm just that good." Jim nudged the man who carries their father's name. Sam sighed, "I have help. Jim, you have Horizon. Alex, sir, you have Strike. I'll take Fury. Give me the 'go, no go'."

Jim and Alex both started talking into their headsets. After a few seconds, they each gave Sam a 'go' for the drop. He nodded and hit some commands on the console in front of him. Jim looked at the tablet in her arm, "Drop-in for Horizon confirmed."

A second later, Alex did the same, "Drop-in for Strike confirmed."

"Drop-in for Fury confirmed. All Conn-Pods dropped-in, sir," Sam told Pike.

The marshal nodded, "Initiate the pilot-to-pilot protocol. Ready for Neural Handshake," Pike said to the techs in Ops. Leonard stood with Carol and watched as the techs, Jim and Alex got ready for three Drifts.

"Horizon's first, count 'em down," Sam told his sister.

She nodded, "Alright boy and girls, neural handshake in fifteen seconds, fourteen, thirteen, twelve, eleven, ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one. Initiating." Jim watched the screen in front of her for a few seconds before she spoke again, "Horizon Handshake holding strong. All three pilots calibrating."

By the time Jim was done getting the Sulu trio into the drift, Sam and Alex had already started on the other Jaegers. The techs watched and waited as the Jaegers made their way towards the port; Pike issuing orders. Everything seemed to be going fine until Otachi showed his ugly mug. Fury and Horizon engaged and promptly started getting their asses kicked.

"LOCCENT, Horizon and Fury are in trouble! We're moving in," Lee called.

"Go ahead, Strike," Pike authorized them to assist.

Leonard looked at Jim who's hand was flying across her tablet, "Fall back, Horizon. Horizon! Golden Horizon, come in. Aiko, Yuki… Hikaru… Come in." She looked at Sam.

The former Ranger spoke into his headset, "Fury, you have eyes on Horizon?" The blonde took a breath and looked at his sister, "I copy, Fury. They're… gone, Jim." She pulled the headset out of her ear and nodded, tears welled up in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. Leonard wrapped his arm around her waist as she stood next to him.

From the screen in front of Sam, Leonard could tell that Fury was still holding their own until they got sprayed with some sort of acid. Alex was not happy, "Strike, hurry up, Fury's compromised. They need help, ASAP." Thunder Strike got into the fight just in the nick of time. They saved Fury from being destroyed. Unfortunately, the Kaiju had another trick up it's sleeve and set off some kind of blast that knocked all the electronics out.

"What just happened?" Chekov, who Leonard didn't even realize was in the room, asked.

Sam shook his head, "The blast, it doubled onto the Jaeger's electrical circuits. EMP, maybe."

The young scientist shook his head, "That is not a defense. They are adapting, that is a weapon."

Pike looked at Sam, "Get me Fury and Strike."

"It'll take two hours to reroute the auxiliary. All the Jaegers have been upgraded to digital!" Sam told his godfather. Leonard knew that wasn't entirely true.

He glanced at Jim before he spoke, "Enterprise isn't digital. Some… next generation Matter/Anti-matter thing, right?"

His partner nodded, "NASA was developing it for the new space vehicles but it didn't work the way they wanted. It's a shit-ton of power, so they gave to us... They call it warp, like that Star Trekkers show. We converted it and put it in Enterprise."

"So, that's what you, Spock and Scotty were working on," Sam muttered.

Pike looked at the new team, "Enterprise Rising, suit up."

Jim and Leonard nodded in unison, "Yes, sir."

* * *

"Alright, Jimmy, let's do this," Leonard said as the helicopters dropped them between the Kaiju and the other Jaegers. Otachi didn't waste any time and charged at them. The pair of pilots blocked the charge and pushed back. They had to keep him away from Hong Kong and the other Jaegers. Otachi didn't really care, it got a hold on them.

Despite the monster's grip on their Jaeger, Enterprise's pilots got themselves enough leverage to swing. Otachi pushed them into the shipping port. "Come on! We got this, Bonesy," Jim said. He kinda liked the idea brewing in her head.

"Elbow rocket!" they yelled at the same time. Enterprise's computer acknowledged the request and they followed the order though. Using the rocket, they hit Otachi, hard.

Then they tossed the large creature into some shipping crates and away from the buildings. The creature roared, but they didn't care. Enterprise picked up a shipping container and they started wailing on Otachi with it until the damn thing broke.

"We need to add that to the arsenal," Leonard muttered.

Jim nodded, "No shit."

Otachi shook the fog from his head and charged them again.

"He's coming back around," Leonard called.

Jim nodded, "He'll regret that. Plasmacaster!"

The computer was alive in their ears, "Plasma cannon engaged." Jim was pissed and it was sexy as hell.

She aimed the cannon at Otachi and whispered in Japanese, " _This is for my friend_."

They shot the Kaiju's arm off and knocked it to the ground. Otachi didn't move but they weren't fooled.

"Your diagnosis, doctor?" Jim asked.

He smirked, "I think he's dead. We might wanna check his pulse to be sure." They turned the cannon on Otachi again and unloaded it at his head. Leonard sighed, "No pulse."

Jim smirked, "Good."

* * *

"I love the smell of dead Kaiju in the morning. Not bad, girly. You too, doc," Lee said as he made his way through the workers and gave Jim a one-armed hug, his other arm in a sling.

She smiled and looked at her friend, "Are you okay? How's Gary?"

Lee sighed, "He's still unconscious but medical says he'll be okay. Guess that's it for Thunder Strike."

"Oh please. You two will be back at it in no time," Nyota said as she pushed her through the mass of people. Leonard noted that Spock and Nyota were banged up pretty good, but they seemed to be okay. Nyota smiled, "You guys saved our lives. Thank you."

Jim hugged her friend, "Anytime."

Pike stepped into the room, "Well done, ladies and gentlemen. I'm proud of you. Proud of us all. But as harsh as it sounds… reset the clock."

Jim gave Leonard's hand a squeeze before she followed Pike and Alex out of the room. "What's that about?" he asked Carol, who moved to stand next him.

She sighed, "We went from seven weeks between the last attacks, to two. Whatever the marshal is planning, we're gonna have to do it sooner rather than later. Kirk is going to have to patch up those Jaegers fast."

"After they talk to Pavel. Him and Hik were talking about getting hitched, dude's gonna be a wreck," Lee muttered. Leonard sighed, so will Jim when she gets half a second to herself. Hikaru was her best friend and now he was gone. He felt her anguish at the loss while they were in the Drift and he knew she was hurting, even if she hid it well from everyone else.

* * *

It was noon when Leonard went looking for his partner. He wasn't exactly shocked to find her beating the shit out of a punching bag in the training room. He got closer and realized that she didn't bother to wear gloves or wrap her hands, her knuckles were a bloody mess.

"That's enough, Jimmy," he told her.

She huffed, "No, it's not. Go away, Bones."

"Can't do that, darlin', not with you bleeding all over the place," Leonard said to his partner. He stepped closer, aware that she could turn her anger, grief, pain and frustration on him when he did. Instead, Jim collapsed to her knees and let out a gut-wrenching sob as soon as he touched her.

"They're gone. They're gone," she whispered. Leonard knelt next to her and wrapped his arms around his sobbing partner. Jim pressed her face against his chest and wrapped her arms around his waist as she cried.

He doesn't know how long they sat like that but Jim's sobs eventually died down and she started talking. "First time I met them, it was in combat. Kaiju named Hidoi, vicious fucker that one. Eden was down when Riverside got there. Horizon was giving it to him until he caught their arms. Me and Sam grabbed the Kaiju before he could pull them off. After that, it was like magic. The five of us just… it just worked. When Chris asked me to get back into a Jaeger, Hiki offered to be my co-pilot. The brain scans weren't compatible enough. I can't help thinking that he'd still be alive if my head was better."

"You have a beautiful brain, Jimmy. This… this is not your fault or anyone else's. You think he would've been okay losing his sisters like that. Me and you know survivors guilt; would you want him to go through that? Losing his sisters like that when he could've been out there with them. I didn't know him that well personally but I do know from your thoughts that he would've done anything for them and for you. He died a hero, they all did."

"And here I thought I was the smart one," Jim muttered.

Leonard shrugged, "We share a head these days so I guess we're both smart. Come on, I wanna patch up your hands."

She groaned, "I don't wanna deal with medical right now."

He smiled, "Lucky for you, you're teamed up with a doctor who has a medkit in his room." Leonard stood up and pulled Jim with him.

* * *

"Tell them what you told us, Chekov," Chris told the young Russian. All the Rangers were ordered to the lab, which was never a good thing.

Pavel nodded, "In the beginning the Kaiju attacks were spaced by months, then weeks. We learned to predict when they'd show up, until now. They have moved up the clock."

"It's Scotty," Jim told the group. They all looked at her.

Her brother shrugged, "What's Scotty?"

Jim took a breath, "The seven weeks to two weeks. It's… the link… the Drift, it's two ways. I didn't notice it before because you're my brother and we've always been linked. But, me and Bones… we were strangers two weeks ago. Now, we're drawn to each other. Ghost Drifting, like all the fuckin' time. Scotty Drifted with the Kaiju. There's no reason to think they didn't connect with him. The breach is gonna open again, isn't it?"

"Da. Sometime in the next," Chekov checked his watch, "nine hours, the breach will open again; it will be the second half of a double event. In four days, we could be seeing the Kaiju every eight hours until they are coming every four minutes."

"And then we're all dead," Gary muttered.

Spock nodded, "Exactly. Numbers do not lie. After the double event will come a triple event, then a quadruple and so on."

Leonard sighed, "Guess it's true what they say about ignorance being bliss."

Jim chuckled, "No kidding. Any good news in all this, Pasha?"

The scientist nodded and went over to the lab's holographic interface, "Here is our universe, and here is theirs. And this is what we call the 'Throat', a passing between the breach and us. We know that it's atomic in nature. I predict that the increased traffic will force the breach to stabilize and remain open long enough to get the device through and collapse its structure."

Chris looked at Jim, "Jaeger status?"

"Genesis and Enterprise are both combat ready. Strike will be in within the hour. Fury in less than three," Jim told the marshal.

Alex looked at her, "That's fast."

Jim nodded, "We're uh… your engineers are on Strike, our team's workin' on Fury, Horizon's engineering team split in half to help both." Leonard could tell that it hurt her to say the words.

"Here's what we're gonna do; Enterprise and Genesis, rest up. If Chekov's right and he usually is, you're the only Jaegers we got at the moment. Spock and Nyota, we might have to put you in Strike if it comes to that. Lee, you're out of commission, there's nothing we can do about that except figure out a partner for Gary. Everyone, go."

* * *

Seven hours after the meeting in the K-Lab they were in the harbor, fighting Leatherback. Fury went down, Enterprise and Genesis tag teamed the large creature with giant wings. Leonard didn't know what to think when Leatherback got his arms around Genesis and took off. Luckily, they propelled themselves forward and grabbed his legs before he got the other Jaeger too high off the ground.

Leatherback let out a screech but Genesis used their rocket launchers and the close proximity to blow the Kaiju in half. Thanks to Enterprise's grip on him, Leatherback couldn't go anywhere and dropped to the ground as soon as the Marcus duo took the shot.

Now, they were down another Jaeger and two more pilots. He didn't know Nyota or Spock as well as everyone else did but he didn't have to, he still felt their loss. Everything was different; he could still feel the change in the air around the Shatterdome. Everyone knew that this whole thing coming to a head.

Leonard was only half-surprised to find Jim asleep on his bed when he walked into his room. Between all the work she's been doing and the loss of her friends, the woman was worn out. He wondered if she attempted to sleep in her room before she gave up and curled up on his bed. Maybe they should've just been roommates, they slept in each other's rooms often enough.

The southerner kicked off his boots and jeans before pulling his t-shirt over his head and climbed into bed, careful not to wake up his partner. Of course, his attempt not to disturb her was rendered pointless when Jim whispered into the dark, "Do you think it's dumb to keep throwing ourselves at these things?"

"No. It's gonna be hard but there's still a shot to save everybody. I gotta believe that my dad and your mom died for a reason," he told her.

Jim rolled over so that she was facing him, "Do you think… Do you think we'll make it to the other side?"

Leonard brushed her bangs out of her eyes and sighed, "I don't know, Jimmy. I hope so. We should get some sleep."

She snuggled against his chest and whispered, "Goodnight, Bonesy."

"'Night, darlin'."

* * *

"Hey, McCoy, come with me," Sam called. The two men walked through the Shatterdome for a few minutes before the former pilot looked at him, "So, what's the deal with you and my sister?"

Leonard chuckled, "There's nothing goin' on."

"Oh, I know. The question is why; you obviously have some feelings for each other and the world could end tomorrow. What are you waiting for?" Sam asked. Leonard opened his mouth to answer but he had nothing. Sam chuckled, "Exactly."

The doctor smiled, "Aren't you supposed to tell me to stay away from her?"

The blonde man shrugged, "You've seen inside her head, you know she'd ignore me if it was something, or someone, important to her. Which, you are. You've also seen a bunch of my memories; all I've ever wanted was for her to be safe and happy. The first one is outta our hands. The second one, we can do something about the happy part."

Leonard nodded, thinking to all the interactions he's had with Jim. He knew something was there, he was just too chicken-shit to do anything about it. Sam smiled, "Look, Chris was in love with my mom and he never said anything. One day, when she was sick, she just looked at him and said she knew. Told him he should've gone for it. Don't make the same mistake Chris did. For her sake, and yours. Come on, I think Jim's in the lab."

The pair walked into the surprisingly quiet room. Carol was sitting at a desk, Gary and Lee were leaning against a wall and Jim was sitting cross-legged on the floor surrounded by papers and a tablet. "Wow, I never thought I'd see you all quiet at the same time. Where's Pavel?" Sam asked the group.

Jim looked at him, "Went to the city; Scotty called. I guess Khan got 'em what we needed. Not that it'll matter too much, we're outta time."

"What do you mean?" Leonard asked as he knelt next to his partner.

She sighed, "We got two days, tops… That triple event Spock mentioned, it's coming."

Sam shook his head, "You guys just killed a Kaiju two days ago. Is your math off?"

Jim shrugged, "These are Spock's notes. Carol has Aiko's and the boys have Hikaru's. They all say the same thing: the end is nigh."

"Can you get me a more definitive time?" Pike asked as he walked into the room with Alex.

"No, but Scotty and Pavel are working on it," Gary said.

The marshal sighed, "Okay, you're all on standby. Strike is being outfitted with the bomb as we speak, Enterprise and Genesis will run interference."

Gary stood up, "I can't pilot solo, I need a partner."

Pike nodded, "And you have one."

All the color drained from Jim's face and she stood up. "No. Hell, no! If you get in that Jaeger, it will kill you," she told her godfather.

The old Ranger smiled, "If I don't get in that Jaeger, it will kill us all. Listen to me, Jim, you are a brave girl, just like your mom. I'm so lucky to have seen you grow… both of you. If I'm going to do this, _I need you_ to protect me."

"Then I will," Jim said, her voice thick with emotion but resolute.

Pike kissed her forehead, "That's my girl."


	5. Chapter 5

"Sometimes I forget how young you all are. You're the only one who's actually had a life outside of all this," Chris sighed.

"Somebody had to fight and we're the ones best qualified to do it. At least, that's what Jim thinks. She'd rather die as a hero than live as a coward. I think that goes for all of us. I came here because I respect you, Pike, but I stayed because I can't sit back and watch someone else fight no matter how many times I swore I'd never Drift again."

The older man nodded, "I need you to do something for me, Leonard." The southerner already knew what Pike was gonna say.

Leonard smiled, "Take care of Jim. You don't even have to ask."

Pike smiled, "I suppose I don't. She was eleven when these things showed up, she has sacrificed so much for this war and she's never complained. She deserves a chance at a real life. Make sure she gets that."

"I will. I should probably go find her," he told the other man.

Pike smiled, "It's not really finding her if you already know where she is."

The southerner chuckled, "I suppose not, sir." Pike dismissed him and Leonard made his way through the Shatterdome to the platform in engineering where Jim liked to go to clear her head.

"Room for one more?" he asked.

Jim smiled, "Always room for you, Bones."

He looked down, "Would be a shame if one of us fell." They were chest-level with their Jaeger, which put them a few stories above the hanger's main floor.

Jim smiled, "We're too far from the ledge. Even then, I wouldn't let you fall. I know you have this fear of heights."

"It's not fear, it's a healthy respect for the ground," he muttered.

She chuckled, "You do know that lying to me is pointless, right?"

Leonard gave her a look, "I hate you right now."

She smiled, "Oh please, you love me. It's impossible not to." Leonard didn't say anything, he didn't need to. She knew how he felt, there was no way she didn't. What's more, he knew she loved him back.

Jim looked at him, "Cat got your tongue, Bonesy?"

"Jim. I…" he didn't know what to say or how to say it.

"You don't have to say anything, not unless you want…" Leonard pressed his lips against hers, stopping her mid-sentence. All the sounds around them drowned out and the only thing Leonard could hear was their combined breathing. He could taste the mint lip-gloss Jim liked to wear mixed with something that was just her. There was nothing soft or gentle about the kiss, it was all teeth and tongue. Jim held onto his shirt with one hand and dug her fingers in his hair with the other. He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her as close as he could, his whole body aching to be in contact with her. They should've done this sooner.

"All Rangers report to LOCCENT! I repeat, all Rangers report to LOCCENT. Urgent," Sam's voice sounded through the Shatterdome. The Enterprise's pilots reluctantly pulled away from each other.

Jim looked at him, her blue eyes dark with lust, "We gotta go."

He nodded, "Time to save the world, darlin'. This conversation ain't over."

She smiled, "No, it's not."

* * *

It was happening. Sam's team was reading two category four signatures hovering over the breach. If the scientists were right, there was another Kaiju coming up. It was finally time to end this. They were all standing in the main hanger. Leonard couldn't believe how different he felt after nearly three weeks of being here. Jim held his hand and he could feel her warmth through their gear. Pike stood on Strike's foot.

"Everyone! Listen up!" the marshal instructed. Of course, everyone in the hanger did has he told them to do, and most even moved closer. Pike sighed, "Today... Today... at the edge of our hope, at the end of our time, we have chosen not only to believe in ourselves but in each other. Today there's not a man nor woman in here that shall stand alone. Not today. Today we face the monsters that are at our door and bring the fight to them! Today we are canceling the apocalypse!"

"Such a show off," Jim muttered as the room erupted in cheers.

Leonard chuckled, "You have something better up your sleeve, Jimmy?"

She smiled, "Maybe. You'll just have to stick around to find out."

He smirked, "We do have a conversation to finish."

"Yes, we do," she gave his hand a squeeze.

"Jim," Sam called. Leonard stepped away to give the siblings some space.

After a few minutes and a hug, Sam let Jim go and looked at him, "You take care of each other out there."

The doctor nodded at his partner's big brother, "You got it." He was a little surprised that Sam gave him a hug but he didn't let it show.

Jim looked at him, "Ready, Bonesy?"

"If I say 'no', will the Kaiju go home and let us have another day?" he asked her.

Jim chuckled, "Doubtful."

Leonard nodded, "Figured as much. I'm as ready as I'll ever be." All the pilots made their way to their respective Jaegers.

"Jim," he said.

She looked at him, "Yeah, Bones?"

Leonard smiled, "When this is all over, apple pie at my mama's, you and me?"

Jim smiled, "Your timing sucks, but it's a date. Let's uh… let's go save world."

He nodded, "Yes, ma'am."

This time, their Drift was as seamless as ever. He'd never felt that connected to anything, not even with his father, it was a beautiful feeling. The three Jaegers were dropped as close to the breach as they could be and stomped towards it.

"All Neural Handshakes at a hundred percent," Darwin said to everyone in LOCCENT. Sam's voice confirmed the link. It hit Leonard that Sam was the ranking officer in the Shatterdome.

Jim chuckled, "Trippy, ain't it?" It was.

Lee's voice cracked though the comm, "Two active, solid circle formation with one quadrant. Code names: Scunner and Raiju. Both Category Four."

"Roger that," Pike responded to LOCCENT. The marshal then spoke to the other pilots, "Half a mile to the ocean cliff, we jump! It's three thousand meters to the breach!"

Gary snorted, "Half a mile? I can't even see a damn inch in here. How are we supposed to deliver the bomb?"

Jim and Leonard were having the same problem, they couldn't see shit. Jim hit a command on their console, "Visibility zero. Switching to instruments now." They all got a few more yards before they heard from LOCCENT.

Lee's voice was alert, "Genesis, there's a movement on your right. Three o'clock. Three o'clock!"

Alex's voice was the next one they heard, "Right side's clear, we got nothing!"

That's when Sam's voice came back, "Enterprise, it switched. Left now! It's moving fast! Fastest Kaiju on record!"

Leonard was looking, "We don't see it. It's moving too fast!"

Gary chuckled, "Eyes on the prize, guys! Six hundred meters from the drop."

"I don't like this," Jim whispered.

He nodded, "Me neither."

Gary gave them another distance, "Four hundred meters and closing!"

Lee sighed in their ears, "The Kaijus are stopping." Jim and Leonard looked at each other.

"Say again, LOCCENT?" Carol asked.

"Strike, Kaijus have stopped. One o'clock," Sam repeated. Thunder Strike stopped moving.

"What are they doing?" Leonard asked his partner.

Jim sighed, "Something's not right. The Kaiju stopped. Why did they stop?" He could feel her worry and dread but he agreed that they were missing something.

Sam's voice was back, "Strike, the Kaiju aren't falling. Take the leap, now!"

"Don't do it! Don't do it! It's not going to work!" Chekov told LOCCENT and the three Jaegers.

The next thing the Rangers heard was Scotty, "Blowing up the breach is not gonna work!"

Pike asked what they were all thinking, "What do you mean? What's not gonna work?"

"Sir, just because the bloody breach is open, dinnae mean you'll be able to get a bomb through," Scotty answered.

Chekov's voice came over the comm, "The breach genetically reads the Kaiju like a bar code at the market and then it lets them pass. You are going to have to fool the breach into thinking that you have the same code!"

Leonard looked at Jim, "How the hell are we supposed to do that?"

Scotty was the person who answered him, "By making it think you are a Kaiju. You have to hold onto the Kaiju, ride it into the breach, the throat will then read the Kaiju's genetic code, letting you pass. If you dinnae do it, the bomb will deflect off the breach, like it always has, and the mission will fail!"

"Now, I know you heard all that. Strike, take the leap!" Sam's voice was back.

* * *

"Strike, we have a category five emerging. The first ever. Code name: Slattern," Sam warned them. It was too late, they already saw the fucker and he was massive.

Jim sighed, "We see him, Strike. Genesis, we're right behind you, about a hundred meters. We're gonna come around your three o'clock and try to flank him, standard three team formation. We gotta keep him busy..."

Before Jim could finish her sentence, one of the category fours slammed into them. According to the computer, Genesis was attacked by the other one and the category five went after Strike.

"Shit. Chainsaw," Leonard called.

The Enterprise's AI responded, "Chainsaw deployed." They stabbed the Kaiju through the chest as it clawed at them. It let them go and disappeared.

"Enterprise, the Kaiju's on your twelve o'clock. Full speed! Move!" Alex called. The Kaiju closed in fast but they were ready, raising their chainsaw and cutting the Kaiju straight down the middle, killing it. Their victory was short lived as the other Kaiju ripped into Genesis.

"DAD!" Carol yelled.

"Shit, shit, shit," Jim muttered as they pushed themselves towards the other Jaeger.

"Jim, Leonard, you have to protect Strike. I'm glad I was wrong ab…," Carol told them before her comms dropped.

"Marcus. Marcus!" Pike called. It was no use, Blue Genesis was in pieces.

"Both Kaiju's are approaching on Strike, fast!" Lee warned over comm.

Jim took a deep breath, "Just hang on, guys. We're coming to you."

Pike's voice stopped them dead in their tracks, "Don't. Enterprise, do not come to our aide! Do you copy?" Leonard and Jim looked at each other.

"Chris?" Jim asked. Leonard could feel the confusion and panic from her.

"Stand as far back as you can," Pike ordered them. Leonard couldn't believe this, they were gonna blow the bomb.

He spoke to the other Jaeger, "We can still reach you. We're coming for you!"

Pike wasn't having it, "No, Leonard. Listen to me. You know exactly what you have to do."

Their AI spoke, "Destabilize the core, take her to the breach." Leonard knew from Jim's thoughts that it could work.

"We hear you, sir. Heading for the breach, now," Leonard told their commanding officer. Jim's thoughts were all over the place; she knew that this was for everyone but, like any normal person, she was selfish enough to want Pike to be safe. The marshal must've known what she was thinking.

His voice sounded in their ears, "Jimmy. You can finish this, sweetheart. I'll always be there for you. You can always find me in the Drift."

Strike must've left their comms open because Leonard and Jim could hear Gary talking. "What are we do, sir?" the ranger asked.

Pike chuckled, "We're gonna clear a path, for the lady."

Gary laughed, "Well, Lee always said... he said if you have a shot, you take it. So let's do this! It was a pleasure, sir." Leonard reached over and touched Jim's shoulder. There was something she needed to say but she held back. Leonard thought she should get it out.

"I love you, dad," Jim told her mother's best friend and the man who treated her like she was his own child.

Pike sighed, "I love you too, kiddo." In that moment the two Kaiju approach Strike, then, suddenly, the bomb exploded.

The Enterprise's AI warned them that their systems were critical. Jim was checking their readouts, "Fuel's leaking. Our right leg's crippled! Let's finish this!" Leonard nodded as they grabbed the dead Kaiju in front of them. Jim sighed, "LOCCENT, we have the Kaiju carcass. We're heading for the breach. You guys… I hope you're right. 'Cause one way or another, we're getting this done."

They start dragging the body of one of the dead Kaiju towards the portal, when the category five Kaiju appeared in front of them. Leonard got a crazy idea. Jim chuckled, "Now, we're talking. On my count, release the jets. Three, two, one... Now!" They launched themselves at the massive beast.

"Hang on, Jimmy," he called. The pair of them using every ounce of strength that they and their Jaeger had as they jumped into the breach with their arms around the Kaiju. Leonard couldn't believe his eyes, if he could keep them opened. What the hell?

"McCoy… half…" he heard someone say before everything around him went black.

* * *

Sunlight. Leonard blinked his eyes open as he realized that he wasn't in his Jaeger anymore. He hit the release for the hatch on his escape pod and pulled his helmet off as he stood up. "Where's Jim?" he asked himself. She should be right behind him. He could hear Sam over the comm asking the same question. Suddenly, Jim's escape pod surfaced. Without thinking, he jumped into the water and swam over to her.

Leonard opened the pod and found Jim unconscious. He carefully pulled her helmet off and checked her pulse, nothing. "She's not breathing," he told her brother. Leonard tilted her head back and gave her a few breaths. "Come on, darlin', breathe for me," he whispered before giving her more air. The cough that followed was the most beautiful sound in the world.

"That's the last time I give you my oxygen," Jim muttered.

He pulled her against chest, "You scared the shit outta me." Over the comm, Sam said the same thing.

Jim smiled, "Sorry, fellas. Can't get rid of me that easy."

Sam's voice rang out over the comm, "This is Marshal Sam Kirk. The breach is sealed. Stop the clock!"

"Jim, Doc, we have your position. The choppers are on their way. Just... just hang on. Are you okay?" Lee asked.

"Better than okay," Jim said before she grabbed the front of Leonard's Drivesuit and kissed him. 'Better than okay' was a massive understatement.

* * *

Epilogue

"I think your niece is trying to steal your girl," Fred said as he handed Leonard a beer. Jim and Joanna were running around the backyard of Mama McCoy's home.

It felt good to be back in Georgia. It's been a month since they saved the world and the pair had finally made their way back to the states. With the Kaiju gone, P.P.D.C. wasn't really needed anymore. Overnight, the three remaining Rangers, Sam, and their K-Science officers became celebrities. They still had some work to do, like annoy the hell out of the U.N., but Marshal Kirk managed to find some time for everyone to take a small break.

The doctor smiled, "Well, I can share her with JoJo."

"What about mama? She's gonna steal your girlfriend too," Donna said as she sat on the arm of Fred's chair.

"Okay." Leonard chuckled, "I can share with you guys and Sam… that's it though."

"What's it?" Jim asked as she walked up the few stairs to the patio with Joanna hot on her tail.

"Apparently, I have to share you," he told her.

She sat on his lap, "Well, there are the brothers." Referring to Sam, Scotty, Pavel and Lee. Jim smiled, "And Joanna. Plus I think I might be in love with your mama… so her too."

"Told you," Donna muttered.

"Well, excuse me for thinking I was special," he whispered.

"You are special. It's why I love you," Jim said as she ran her fingers through his hair.

"I love you too, darlin'." He looked up into those bright blue eyes and smiled. Leonard was happy that she decided to come home with him, if he could only get her to stay. The doctor knew he could just ask but he also knew that her brother needed her too and he wasn't selfish enough to keep her from Sam.

"What?" Jim asked.

"I said…" he started.

Jim sighed, "Not that. You get this crease in your forehead when you're thinking too hard. What's up?" Leonard glanced around, his mother, sister, brother-in-law and niece were all looking at him.

"Nothing," he muttered.

"You aren't supposed to lie, Uncle Leo. What's wrong?" Joanna asked him. Like anyone could say no to that face.

He sighed, "I don't want Jim to leave."

"Who says I'm leaving?" she asked.

"You have to get back to P.P.D.C." Leonard told her.

"What P.P.D.C.? It's done… I mean, I gotta finish helping Sam close the Shatterdome and sell it but I'll be back. I start my master's program at Georgia Tech next semester," Jim told him with a smile.

"What?" he stammered.

"I'm staying. Sam too. Come on, Bones, you should know better. We're Marine brats, we've never actually had someplace to call home. We figured that since you're taking that job at Atlanta Medical and Georgia Tech is a good school, we could stay in Georgia. That's okay with you, right?"

"Okay? Okay!? That's fuckin' awesome!" he yelled before pulling her into a kiss. She was right, he should've known better.

"Language, Leo," his sister told him.

"You knew! How the hell did you know?" Leonard asked Donna.

"Simple. I asked what her plans were. You should try it," his big sister said. He hated to admit that she had a point.

"I know we're all Drifty and stuff but you can talk to me. I'd prefer it, actually. I can tell when you're worried and I don't like it. Next time, just say something," Jim said.

"Yes, ma'am. You're gonna get a place with me, right?" he asked her.

Jim smiled, "Like I could sleep without you, anyway. You're stuck with me."

Leonard smiled back, "Good."


End file.
